Liquid level gauge



July 12, 1932. J. J. FORNEY LIQUID .LEVEL GAUGE Filed March 12, 1929 32R Fnrne\ lnventor Patented July 12, 19 32 -rss LIQ ID LEVEL GAUGE I Application filed March 12, 1929. Serial No. 345,356.

My present invention relates torimprovements in a liquid level gauge of thevu'llage rod orpole type, in which atmospheric pressure is utilized in combination with a registering or indicating liquid and a liquid gauge or scale. While the gauge of my invention is well adapted for'various uses it is particularly applied to measuring the quantity of gasoline contained in underground tanks at filling stations for automotive vehicles, in order that the number of contained gallons (or other units) may be ascertained with accuracy and reliability.

In carrying out my invention I utilize an extensible, telescopic tubular rod, or pole, and a tubular tortuous head in which is contained a sealed registering liquid, as colored alcohol, for co-operation with a gauge. The registering liquid is displaced,under atmospheric pressure, by a column of air when the lower open end of the tubular rod is submerged in the liquid to be measured, and the level of the registering liquid co-operates with the stationary gauge for indicating the measured contents, of the tank.

Interchangeable scales are adapted for use with the meter, and means are provided for adjusting the scale and gauge to different atg.

mospheric altitudes,above sea level.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as above set forth as will hereinafter be more clearly specified and claimed. In the accom panying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to the best model have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the gauge, with parts in dotted lines, showing a portion of the gasoline tank in section, with the gauge in operative position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one of the interchangeable scales with a capacityof ten barrels, and Figure 3 is a view of a similar scale with a capacity of five barrels, the galion measures also being indicated on the scales. 7

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse secs tional viewat line 44 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view at line 5-5 of Figure 1 and FigureG is an enlarged sectional detail view ofa telescoping joint at line 6-6 ofFigure a In Figure 1 a portion of a gasoline tank is indicatedin section as 1, and locatedfun- V dergrou-nd as is usual, the filling pipe forlther tank being indicated as2 The measuringpole or rod of the gauge isv of tubular, telescoping construction, in order that the rod may be used in tanks of varying depth, and withtanks that arelocated at varying depths from the. surface of the.

ground, and of course thelower end of the tubular rodv is submerged in the contents of I the tank, and when the gauge is to be used, the lower endofthe tubular rod rests upon the bottom'of the tank. e

The tubularrodmay-be made up of a." number. ofsections, here shown as two and designated as 3 and 6. The lower section 3 is provided with anintake headband lateral ports/l through which the gasoline flows into the tubular rod, and a leak-proof, sliding joint is provided betweenthe sections by the use of a screw cap 7 on the lower end of the upper section, through whichcap the upper end of the lowersection passes. A friction washeror gasket 8is employed on the upper end. of the lower section and within the upper sectionto insure the leak proof joint 1 and tolmaintain the telescoping; sections in. frictional contact .to prevent undue relative V movementoflt'he sections.-

At Ytsupper end thefltubular rod; is fashioned with a tortuous head that includes an inverted U-shape bend 9. and a U-shape bend 10," and these partsare. encased in a sectional holder comprising side pieces 11. and 12 that aresecured together by means of screws 13.v The holder. may be of-wood,

or other material, and conformsto the shape of the tortuoushead of the tubular rod, and, itis recessed at 16, and provided with a sus pending hookf17, the latter tobe used when I the gaugeis out of use.

The .gooseneck or U-shapd bend .lOkof f 0Q thetortuous head terminates, in. a glassjtube 1a which performs the funtionsof avent tube gasoline and-the column of air,

into which is adapted to rise a registering liquid 15, of colored alcoholoor similar liquid, and the level of this registering liquid may gbe observed in the glass tube through an opening 16 in'one face ofthe holder.

It will be apparent that as the tubular rod is submerged in the gasoline in the tank a quantitybf air willihave been trapped in the tubulararodbetween' the gasoline and the registering liquidor alcohol... the tubular rod is lowered, atmospheri'cpressure on the gasoline in the tank forces a column-of gasethe goose n-eck' or U-bend- 10..

Underrpressu'rethrough the column of the levelof theregi'sterjing liquid is raised in the glass tube 14;, and this indicated'level co-operates what I claim as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent is':-'

The combination in a liquid level gauge, of a recessed holder having a slot, a sectional,

telescoping, tubular rod adapted to be lowered into a tank and having intake ports at. its lower end, a transparent vent tube mounted in the recessed holder, means including a pair of oppositely arranged bends forming a trapped connection between the rod and tube for maintaininga registering liquid, an adjustable scale located adjacent to' and parallel with the vent tube,"a bolt on thesca1e,and a= non-traveling nut on the bolt supported in the slot of the holder for ad justing the scale relatively to the vent tube.

' Intestimony' whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN J. FORNEY.

withi a scale 18 or 19,.to indicatethe number: Y

of gallons in the tank.

- The scalelS' 'n Figure 500 gallons and is adapted-for usein a 10- barrel tank, while the scale 19 hasa measuring capacity of 250 gal'lons and is adapted for- I i use in a 5-barrel tank.- V g f In Figure 1 theregisteringl quid has risen 7 to the 50' gallon mark: indicating that there are fifty gallons of gasoline in the tank L1 Oficourse, when the tubular rodhasbeen re: moved from the tank the column. of gasoline drainstherefrom to the tank, the column of aireXp'a-nds, to normal atmospheric pressure, and the registering liquid finds itsilevel in the goose-neck or Ubend 10,, it being understood that the top or upper end of the glass tube 14 is properly vented to permit the displacement ofthe registering liquid. r

2 has acapacity of The interchangeable scales are p p id dw I bolts 20 having threaded ends 21 andthe p, scales are nested in the recess or opening '16 with the bolts located: in holes 22indicated by dotted. lines in 'Figure 1 as sunk below the lowerwall of the recess. An open slot 23 I intercepts thefhole 22' to accommodate the non-traveling nut 24 through which the bolt is threaded, anditwi llbe apparent that byturning the nut the gauge may be raisedor lowered with relation to the glass tube 14.

On the holder adjacent the scale. a sea le'velxmark 0. is indicated and a complemenl tary "sea level mark'25' is displayed on the scale. These marks are'brought to register, as in Figurel when the scale and meter are 7 used at sea-level'.'- At 26,the'holder 'is provided with an altitude scale or presSuresc'ale tojindicate atmospheric pressures above. sea

level, and the mark 25 is brought to register withaselected altitude or atmospheric'pressure reading to conform to the altitude above sea-level" in which the meter" is being used.

I Havingthus fully described my invention, 

